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Feedback Request-RE: What new clubs to purchase?

• bbbad 9 Posts

  Tue, Jun 18 2013 3:24 PM

  I've been playing for about 4 weeks now with a starter set of clubs.  I'm at level 40/pro and love the game.  I'm looking for new clubs that will be good today and into the near future for me.  Price is not so much the concern as it is only buying good stuff "once".  I'm not big on the idea of a rental because it's not like you can take a club to the range and beat it until it submits or you give up.  I'd would appreciate any thoughts or suggestions.

• Mushy01 2,567 Posts

  Tue, Jun 18 2013 4:21 PM

  A fantastic progress report much along the same lines as the question by  your good self , fantastic read by some very good players of the game , may be of some use for yourself HERE and a warm welcome to WGT

• bbbad 9 Posts

  Tue, Jun 18 2013 4:36 PM

  Thank you for putting me on the right track (thread)!

• courteneyfish 15,796 Posts

  Tue, Jun 18 2013 10:14 PM

  3 evenly spaced wedges is always a good first step.

• alanti 10,564 Posts

  Tue, Jun 18 2013 10:37 PM

  Yep Mushy has put you onto a good thread. I agree, three wedges are a great start. As money is not so much of an issue, for irons, I would recommend you hang out to get the G20 irons, These are high trajectory and can see you all the way to legend. If you are desperate to upgrade the high level 40's Raptures are good, but you will outgrow them. There are also a couple of good drivers in the late 40s now and even a WGT ball you will notice a big difference.

  So basically try and level up and get gear that will last is my advice. But buy the best 3 wedges you can, these will make a world of difference to your game, especially with a WGT ball that does not break the bank.(ditch the hybrid as you will need the wedges a lot more often than that).

  Last thing, when choosing your wedges, FIRST choose which iron set you will buy, then work back from the PW so you will have 3 equally spaces wedges.

• alosso 21,083 Posts

  Tue, Jun 18 2013 11:06 PM

  courteneyfish:

  3 evenly spaced wedges is always a good first step.

  Excuse me, but 3 wedges under Starter irons (PW = 90 yds) means overcooking the soup IMHO. Two short ones replace the Starters nicely, a third one of better quality may come with custom irons.

  OTOH, "buy once" doesn't work here for most because the good clubs come in high levels which can only be accessed with plenty of patience for a low tier player.

  It's up to each on his own to find his rhythm of buying.

  My general advice is this:

  Low level buys tend to become pointless too soon. Whatever you want to buy, look out for the possible better equipment available at a higher level. In general, unless the need for a change is irresistible,
  
  - do not start to buy wedges before level 18,
  
  - do not start to buy a putter before level 30,
  
  - do not buy a putter below 500 credits,
  
  - do not start to buy woods and irons before level 47/48,
  
  - start buying balls as a Tour Pro, work your way through the list from cheap to expensive. Try to avoid using a ball with higher level than your main clubs.

• bbbad 9 Posts

  Wed, Jun 19 2013 2:17 PM

  Mushy01 Alanti Courteneyfish Alosso Thank you for your responses and advice. It certainly helps to have feedback from experienced players to consider in the decision making process. Today,I rented a set of irons and a putter and I've played several 9s. The jury is still out-but I'm not impressed so far. In fairness-I don't see how you really know the fit/feel in just a day, but I'm also in hopes that there are better irons available in the near future. Still, the more I played, the more I thought about renting a driver. But, then being the "value shopper" I am, I concluded that for me to rent a driver(s) for the number of days that it might take for me to be comfortable with making the purchase,I could buy one-so I did. I bought a Taylor Made R11S 9.5. It's awfully hard to be unhappy with an extra 40/60 yds. down the fairway! Then considering the sage advice of having 3 wedges-I bought a Cleveland CG16/64 to start. Sadly, I'm going to have to rearrange my shot making strategies to work on buying/having a 3rd wedge (52,54,58,60?????????) Before my back went to hell, I played actual golf in a different era-so I'll have to learn. Thanks again!

• bypass07 1,360 Posts

  Wed, Jun 19 2013 3:01 PM

  at last some one Not begging for equipment !! ditch your hybrid. when you can- revert to 3 wedges !! remember that a putt 3 feet too long has a better chance of going in than one 6 inches too short !! play often - have run !! please remember the have fun part !!

• alanti 10,564 Posts

  Wed, Jun 19 2013 3:08 PM

  The problem with getting any equipment is how long will it last. The irons you have rented are OK but you will find that as you tier up you will outgrow them quickly. I know it may seem a long wait, but just having a couple of wedges and a longer driver will help immensely. If you can wait, the G20 irons are great and can take you to legend.

  Sadly rental times are short and it is hard to fully evaluate the clubs. The Cleveland wedges are great and you will notice a huge difference, but they do take time to adjust to, as do all clubs and is a new leaning curve. Always work back from the PW of your IDEAL iron set you want to buy, so you have equal distances between them.

  Also remember to use the punch shot using the wedges, it is like having new clubs in your bag.

• Fekdrink 138 Posts

  Fri, Jun 21 2013 7:06 AM

  Welcome to the game bbad. It's a lot of fun although more than a little frustrating at times. Particulary when you first Tier up and see your average suddenly nosedive until you saturate your required number of Ranked Rounds again. I made Master last week having got my average down to a shade under 67. Now it's back up to 71+ because every bad round counts to your average. But it doesn't take long to start dropping again.

  I can't hope to offer such sage advice on playing as my esteemed fellow posters here but I can perhaps give some advice re learning the game. Having only started a few months before your good self. Use the forums. Post requently and you'll be amazed at the amount of help you get. I would conservatively estimate the advice I've been given during my brief spell in the game has been worth three to four shots a round.

  I can't sign off without thanking Mushy01 for his kind words re my  "So, what now?"  thread. Every now and then I go back and re-read it from the start. It's amazing how my ideas have changed as I've learnt more through the fantastic contributions from copious expert sources.

  All the best, Fekdrink.